KEY POINTS

  • Real Madrid opened their La Liga return with a 3-1 victory over SD Eibar
  • This win had several players standout including Raphael Varane
  • Varane displayed why he's one of the best center backs in the game

The games are back and Real Madrid is picking up right where they left off with a 3-1 victory over SD Eibar. While the strong victory doesn’t come off as a huge surprise, one notable bright spot in the return was Raphael Varane’s performance.

Per The Real Champs, Real Madrid saw a positive performance from Varane with the way he commanded the team’s defense. It’s been months since teams have played any time on the pitch and they’ve performed well without any rust. With incredible timing and accuracy, Varane made his presence felt in the game.

The aggressiveness was in full display for Varane as he was seen constantly running on the field to clean up any passes by their opponents. The 27-year-old displayed a dominant performance throughout the whole match and showed to everyone why he’s considered as one of the best center backs in the game.

Per Who Scored Who, the former World Cup winner had 86 touches and completed 92 percent of his passes and attempted a team-high 75 passes. He also had 14 long passes completed out of 17 attempts. In addition to this, he also had one interception and six clearances.

The manner Varane was moving comfortably showed the trust Real Madrid has for him. On every defensive end, the four-time Champions League winner stepped up by mopping loose balls and hustling aggressively on every opportunity he got.

The communication between the team’s top players such as Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema has been tremendous. These elite stars were able to convert offensively mainly because of the defensive prowess Varane displayed throughout the match. The way the offense stepped up due to Varane’s hustle shows how Real Madrid is in good hands in the coming few games of La Liga.

It will be interesting to see how Real Madrid moves forward in the remaining games of the season. They sit at second place in the team standings with 17 wins, eight draws and three losses. Expectations are high for the team now as they’re seeking to overtake their rivals FC Barcelona and come away with the La Liga title.

French defender Raphael Varane led the way for Real Madrid
French defender Raphael Varane led the way for Real Madrid AFP / OSCAR DEL POZO